This invention relates to an automatic ice maker for refrigerators which automatically provides ice cubes, and more particularly to an automatic ice maker of the type that water is supplied into an ice tray disposed in an atmosphere of chilled air and then froze therein.
Household refrigerators equipped with automatic ice makers have been commercially produced One type of such automatic ice makers comprises a refrigerated plate, refrigerated such that the surface temperature thereof is decreased below the freezing point and a water circulator dispersing water over the refrigerated plate surface so that the water forms a membrane over the surface and circulating the water. Ice is gradually made in the process that the water is caused to flow on the plate. This type of ice maker is advantageous in that transparent ice can be obtained. However, the construction is large and complicated.
In another type of automatic ice maker, water is supplied into an ice tray disposed in an ice making compartment by water supply equipment. After ice is made, the ice tray is rotatively moved by a drive mechanism so as to be reversed, thereby removing ice cubes from the ice tray to be reserved Subsequently, water is repeatedly resupplied into the ice tray and ice is made.
In the latter type, however, the water supplied into the ice tray is frozen nearly uniformly from every side of the ice tray. Consequently, air bubbles are often left in the ice cubes and render the ice cubes opaque.